Flight Test Planning (flight-test-operations/planning/flight-test-planning)
Use when the task is planning a flight test program: build-up
ordering of the test points, test matrix construction and coverage,
instrumentation completeness, and the go/no-go gate before each
flight.
Domain quick reference
- Build-up approach: order the test points from lowest to highest
risk so the envelope is expanded step by step; a point may only be
flown after its prerequisites, and a prerequisite that is not part
of the point set must be flagged before the program starts.
- Test matrix: rows are test points, columns are test objectives; a
point covers an objective when it exercises it. The matrix is
complete when every objective has at least one covering point.
- Instrumentation completeness: compare the required sensor set
against the installed set; every missing instrument blocks the
affected test point.
- Go/no-go gate: weather, aircraft readiness, instrumentation, and
the safety review must all pass; any single failed check forces
NO-GO and names the blocker.
Workflow
- Collect the test points with their risk level and prerequisites.
- Order them with build_up_order(test_points); review the flagged
missing prerequisites before the program starts.
- Assemble the required and installed instrumentation sets and check
them with instrumentation_complete(required, provided).
- Build the test matrix and check coverage with
test_matrix_complete(points, objectives); add points until every
objective is covered.
- Before each flight, run the gate with
go_no_gate(weather_ok, aircraft_ready, instrumentation_ok,
safety_review_ok) and fly only on a GO verdict.
Pitfalls
- Ordering by risk without checking prerequisites: a point whose
prerequisite is missing from the set is flagged, never silently
ordered.
- Risk ties: the sort keeps the input order, so identical risks stay
in the order you listed them; do not hand-shuffle ties.
- A matrix with one uncovered objective is incomplete even when every
other objective is covered.
- Instrumentation names match exactly after stripping whitespace; a
renamed sensor counts as missing.
- The gate rejects non-boolean inputs: "yes" or 1 is an error, not a
pass.
- Expanding the envelope in large steps: the build-up approach
increments risk so every step stays testable and recoverable.
Behavior contract (gate 3)
The build-up ordering, instrumentation completeness, test matrix
coverage, and go/no-go gate logic is exercised by the gate 3 contract
test: scripts/test_flight_test_planning.py against
scripts/flight_test_planning_logic.py (stdlib unittest, offline). Run:
python3 scripts/test_flight_test_planning.py
Compliance
- Standards referenced, not reproduced: FAR-25 and CS-25 set the
flight test and certification context; the build-up approach, test
matrix, instrumentation, and go/no-go practice is common
flight-test methodology, summary-only per standards-map.yaml.
- compliance: STANDARDS-REF, gated: false.
1---2name: flight-test-planning3description: Use when you must plan a flight test program: order the test points with the build-up approach so risk increases step by step and every prerequisite is flown before the dependent point, check that the instrumentation covers the required sensors, and confirm the test matrix covers every test objective. Produces the risk-ordered flight sequence with missing prerequisites flagged, the missing instrumentation list with the completeness verdict, the uncovered objectives with the matrix verdict, and the go/no-go gate verdict that releases or blocks the flight. Trigger: build-up approach, test matrix, flight test planning, instrumentation completeness, go/no-go gate, prerequisites.4license: Apache-2.05---67# Flight Test Planning (flight-test-operations/planning/flight-test-planning)89Use when the task is planning a flight test program: build-up10ordering of the test points, test matrix construction and coverage,11instrumentation completeness, and the go/no-go gate before each12flight.1314## Domain quick reference1516- Build-up approach: order the test points from lowest to highest17 risk so the envelope is expanded step by step; a point may only be18 flown after its prerequisites, and a prerequisite that is not part19 of the point set must be flagged before the program starts.20- Test matrix: rows are test points, columns are test objectives; a21 point covers an objective when it exercises it. The matrix is22 complete when every objective has at least one covering point.23- Instrumentation completeness: compare the required sensor set24 against the installed set; every missing instrument blocks the25 affected test point.26- Go/no-go gate: weather, aircraft readiness, instrumentation, and27 the safety review must all pass; any single failed check forces28 NO-GO and names the blocker.2930## Workflow31321. Collect the test points with their risk level and prerequisites.332. Order them with build_up_order(test_points); review the flagged34 missing prerequisites before the program starts.353. Assemble the required and installed instrumentation sets and check36 them with instrumentation_complete(required, provided).374. Build the test matrix and check coverage with38 test_matrix_complete(points, objectives); add points until every39 objective is covered.405. Before each flight, run the gate with41 go_no_gate(weather_ok, aircraft_ready, instrumentation_ok,42 safety_review_ok) and fly only on a GO verdict.4344## Pitfalls4546- Ordering by risk without checking prerequisites: a point whose47 prerequisite is missing from the set is flagged, never silently48 ordered.49- Risk ties: the sort keeps the input order, so identical risks stay50 in the order you listed them; do not hand-shuffle ties.51- A matrix with one uncovered objective is incomplete even when every52 other objective is covered.53- Instrumentation names match exactly after stripping whitespace; a54 renamed sensor counts as missing.55- The gate rejects non-boolean inputs: "yes" or 1 is an error, not a56 pass.57- Expanding the envelope in large steps: the build-up approach58 increments risk so every step stays testable and recoverable.5960## Behavior contract (gate 3)6162The build-up ordering, instrumentation completeness, test matrix63coverage, and go/no-go gate logic is exercised by the gate 3 contract64test: scripts/test_flight_test_planning.py against65scripts/flight_test_planning_logic.py (stdlib unittest, offline). Run:66python3 scripts/test_flight_test_planning.py6768## Compliance6970- Standards referenced, not reproduced: FAR-25 and CS-25 set the71 flight test and certification context; the build-up approach, test72 matrix, instrumentation, and go/no-go practice is common73 flight-test methodology, summary-only per standards-map.yaml.74- compliance: STANDARDS-REF, gated: false.
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